I think my tip would be to learn how to Strip Strike effectively. This includes reacting quickly, striking powerfully, and having your hook sharp enough and knots strong enough to hang on to the fish.

The mouths of saltwater fish are generally tougher than their sweetwater kin, and I know this skill will help those with only freshwater experience. Need to practice?, both Bass and Panfish provide ample opportunity to do so.

Practice! Practice! Practice! Your casting that is! My guiding experience has taught me that many people who come to fly fish the salt have very poor casting skills. Recently, a new client from Colorado wanted to fish dock lights for Snook. He only had one day in my area, and the best tide was in the morning. His eight plus years of experience fly fishing with five to nine weight rods convinced me that he shouldn't have any problems. I picked him up at 3 am to fish until daylight for Snook, then we would go for tailing Redfish. Ten minutes from our pick up spot I approached the first lighted dock with my bow mounted electric on my flats boat. Standing in the bow, I showed him how to cast, retrieve and strip strike. When I handed him the rod, and asked him to cast, he made a windshield wiper cast of 180 degrees piling up the line twenty feet in front of him. I asked him to false cast. He couldn't! His experience apparently, was with a strike indicator and bead head nymph on very small streams. I made all his casts until daylight. The next hour was spent giving him casting lessons. At the end of the day he caught a few nice Trout and a Jack Crevalle on his own. Would a few guides site their experiences!

I agree with all of the above. Go light...pick the best saltwater rod and reel with the least amount weight you can find. Pick a quality saltwater fly line. The sun and heat make different lines react in strange ways. Cortland's 444 Lazer Tropic, 444 SL Saltwater and Scientific Anglers Mastery species specific lines and very good picks. Stay away from Orvis Wonderline and other similar lines. Then practice...practice...practice for presentation, distance and accuracy. Unlock your elbow from your hip and cast with your shoulder. I totally agree with dougm, the wind is not your friend and your trout casting style just won't do it in the salt. A good guide will usually tell you how and when to strip or you can cheat like I do. Find a pocket, lagoon or cut where the fish are moving in and out. I cast a fly to a favorable position and let it sit there until I see activity and then strip...it works almost every time for Bonefish and Cuda because I am not spooking them. With this method, my presentation and distance are not factors and I catch a lot of fish. I know this method is not for purist, but you can sure catch a lot of fish and the strike and fight are the same. Tom, www.pescamexicana.com